


Winter In London

by Hokkaido_Pumpkin



Category: Original Work
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-13
Updated: 2020-05-13
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:34:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,357
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24164446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hokkaido_Pumpkin/pseuds/Hokkaido_Pumpkin
Summary: Elze has been losing sleep night after night due to their neighbor playing music from the middle of the night until the wee hours in the morning. They have never seen them.When they meet their neighbor one night, a lot comes into light. And so, a love story of two Londoners begin.
Relationships: Elze/Orion





	Winter In London

**Author's Note:**

> Wrote the first chap for lit class, might end up expanding on it with a few other short stories. Hope you enjoy! :D
> 
> Elze is They/Them, and the neighbor is He/Him, just putting this here to make things easier when reading.

The sky was its classic winter gray again, small specks of snow falling from the heavens above. People were treading through the winding streets, going to their houses to their families, celebrating the new year. Amongst those people were Elze, who in only two days managed to get enough of extended family for the rest of the year, returning to their apartment in central London a week early. As the newly fallen snow was getting crushed under their brown boots, the events from the past few days were replaying themselves like a poorly made film inside Elze’s head. Aunts and uncles they couldn’t name had pelted her with countless questions about them going through their dream of studying drama, asking them if they could have chosen something more stable, like economics or something. Elze ended up verbally sparring with each one of them until they had enough and left. Why couldn’t they just accept that they were going to do this no matter what they said? As they went down the stairs to the tube station, they felt lonelier than they had felt for a very long time. 

_ He had left the flowers he had gotten for his brother. Hyacinths, his favorite. Even though it had been over a year, he wasn’t ready to face his family yet. So there he was, standing in the middle of Piccadilly Circus with dead hyacinths in his hands a few days after new year’s. A snowflake fell right on the boy’s sharp nose. Heaving a sigh, he makes his way back home.  _

Elze opened the door to their apartment, and a wave of relief washed through their soul. They were finally back where they belonged. The decently sized apartment, with the walls lined with bookshelves, the old couch with the tartan design, and all the other things which made Elze love their home. They plop down their luggage near the door and plop themselves on the couch with a book,  _ The Importance of Being Earnest, _ the christmas gift their mother had gotten them. Soon, time starts melting away as Elze finds solace in the words before her. 

_ He opens the door into his apartment, but doesn’t bother opening the lights just yet. His place was a mess, manuscript paper scattered all over the floor around the desk in the corner, books and instrument cases littered around the floor and on various surfaces including chairs and a table. The only clear surface in the whole area was around the piano propped against the wall. He goes straight towards the piano, without bothering to take off his brown shoes.  _

Just as Elze was about to drift off to sleep, the sound of music jolted them awake. Annoyance started to flow through Elze as the one thing they hadn’t missed about home came up. For the past five months, Elze had lost countless nights of sleep due to the neighbor who would play music for hours on end at the oddest hours, and for months, they couldn’t confront the mysterious neighbor as they were never there when they knocked on the neighbor’s door. Elze glances at the clock sitting on the coffee table. 10:50PM. They had started early tonight. Giving up trying to sleep, Elze sits up on the couch and starts listening to the music. It was a slow piece, played softly by the neighbor, but it also somehow sounded harsh. It was beautiful. Smiling a little bit, they continue reading their book alongside the melody. 

_ With every key he pressed, more of his worries, more of his sorrows, went away. He poured his heart and soul into the music, just like he did every night, but his pain never went away. His pain never went away no matter how much he played. No matter how little he slept, no matter how much he worked, the freckled, spectacled face of his older brother never left his mind. His mind suddenly got flooded with all the memories of his brother. Isaac. His smile. His laugh. The way he said his little brother’s name. The way he didn’t disappear with a flash, but slowly faded away. The fact that he was too young to do anything to help Isaac. The pain overwhelms him, and his hands leave the keys.  _

Elze was still reading their book when the music stopped. They instinctively glance at the clock on the table again, seeing how long the neighbor had played this time. 11:20PM.  _ That’s odd, _ Elze thought.  _ They usually play for at least an hour. _ Their first thought was to finally go to bed, but the voice of reason piping up in their head said otherwise. What if something had happened to the neighbor? In an unexpected sudden panic, Elze runs out of their apartment and runs next door. They find that the door was unlocked, so they go right in, anxious to see if they’re alright. 

_ He was sitting on the floor, tears blurring their vision behind their glasses, when he heard someone come into his apartment. He tought it could be a robber, but he didn’t move. His body felt heavy all over with the weight of his pain. The figure standing in the doorway opens the light, and rushes right to his side when they notice him. He tries to speak, but the words just don’t come out of his mouth no matter how hard he tries. The figure embraces them, whispering things into his ear which he couldn’t hear. The stranger’s embrace calms him down, and it reminds him of Isaac once again, although remembering him didn’t hurt as much as last time.  _

Elze tries to see anything, but it was near impossible in the darkness. They manage to find the light switch and turn it on, basking the cave-like place in revealing light. They spot a boy crying, curled up against the wall. They rush over to him, emotions rushing over them at the same time. Sympathy. Concern. Fear. Elze tries to ask the boy if he’s alright, but the boy doesn’t move at all. Getting even more scared, Elze impulsively hugs the boy, being reminded of themselves all those years ago. They whisper in his ear, saying that it will be alright, that he’s safe, but to no avail. The boy’s face is hidden behind his pale arms and messy mop of light brown hair. After a few moments, he finally moves, bright blue eyes boring into their dark green. 

_ The first thought that crossed his mind at that moment was that she was beautiful. Short orange hair, eyes like dark emeralds, and freckles dotted like constellations all over her face. She looked kind. He feels his throat open up again, and speaks to the lady. “I’m sorry for worrying you,” he starts saying, but the woman immediately starts shaking her head at that. “Never apologise for not feeling alright” she responds, her tone firm, yet also so sweet. “What’s your name?” she asks. He responds. Orion Wells. She responds. Elze Cartwright.  _

Orion looked much better now. He had already calmed down, and the two were now drinking some tea that he haphazardly prepared at blinding speed. They talked through the night, exchanging stories and sorrows. Orion was struggling with the death of his brother for the past year, and Elze was struggling with their family’s acceptance of their gender and their studies. They offered each other sympathies, condolences, and acceptance. When the sun peeked its luminous face through the window, Elze got up and started to leave. Behind them, Orion also packed his books and prepared to leave, as he had never changed from the previous night. As they leave the apartment, Elze leans onto Orion.

“Thank you for helping me last night, Elze. Would you maybe like to hang out tonight as well? I promise I won’t keep you up all night this time.”

“Of course we can hang out tonight! I don’t really mind staying up anyways. Some midnight music makes it all worth it.”

The two laugh as they make their way through London once again, feeling that things will actually be better this time around. 


End file.
